A process to manage recruitment to multiple competing studies

Although strategies for decreasing barriers to research participation have been previously published, specific strategies for managing recruitment in the context of multiple, competing studies have not been addressed. This article addresses the development and implementation of a coordinated recruitment core aimed at managing recruitment to multiple studies competing for patients within a breast cancer clinic. The discussion centers around the process used to define the problem and need for change, the proposed change, steps in implementing the change, strategies to facilitate implementation of the change, and initial evaluation, including expected and unexpected benefits. Also included is a discussion of future directions.